A grim stalemate at war’s end in GazaTEL AVIV, Israel — The third Gaza War in six years appears to have ended in another sort of tie, with both Israel and Hamas claiming the upper hand. Their questionable achievements have come at a big price, especially to long-suffering Palestinians in Gaza. In a sense, Israel got what it wanted: Hamas stopped firing rockets in exchange for mostly vague promises and future talks. But the cost to Israel was huge: Beyond the 70 people killed — al...

What's your identity?My Identity: Identity is defined as who you are. It’s what makes you who you are; it’s what makes you unique. Still it can be hard to grasp because some of us are still trying to find out our identity and who we are. You know when you’re a child you don’t really know who you are, and at times certain labels get placed on you because of the way you look, or talk or act. But that doesn’t define who you are. No matter what you like or don’t like ...

On Davidson’s welfare opinion pieceJim Davidson’s Friday opinion piece, “How did we get here?” uses data put forward by the Cato institute to make the case that welfare payments are largely (if not solely) responsible for an ever increasing national debt. One problem: Cato’s data is bogus and was shown to be so by folks across the political spectrum soon after the report’s release last year. Welfare does not pay more than minimum wage in 33 states, and welfare recipients in Haw...

Facts vs. social visions don’t line upThe political left has been campaigning against the use of force since at least the 18th century. So it is not surprising that they are now arguing that heavily armed or aggressive police forces only inflame protesters and thus provoke violence. Statisticians have long warned that correlation is not causation, but they have apparently warned in vain. There is no reason to doubt that heavily armed police in riot gear may be more likely to show ...

Arkansas races attract national figuresLITTLE ROCK — The parade of national Republican Party figures through Arkansas touting the GOP’s candidates underscores just how much the party is counting on a state that had once been considered a Democratic stronghold in the South. It also offers the GOP a chance to make another, not-subtle dig at what they say is Democrats’ biggest weakness — the unpopularity of their national leaders in the state. The separate visits by former Republican ...

Arkansas should consider changing its method of selecting judgesArkansas needs to change its system of selecting judges, and we need to do it before the people who elect them lose confidence in their courts. That’s not to say the courts are doing such a bad job, but we’ve seen the future and it’s not good. Here’s the problem: Political action committees, fueled by tons of money donated by anonymous people, corporations and special interest organizations such as unions, are beginning to decide who will pres...

Mr. Stoner arrested on pot chargesA Virginia man with the last name Stoner is facing drug charges after police found more than $10,000 worth of marijuana plants at his home. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Paul Scott Stoner, 42, of Unionville is charged with growing marijuana and having a firearm while in possession of more than a pound of marijuana. Media outlets reported the charges stem from an ongoing investigation related to the alleged sale of marijuana to childr...

The blasphemy steakI’m going to teach you how to cook a steak that will impress your friends, neighbors and even yourself, but will also completely insult grill enthusiasts. That’s why I call it the blasphemy steak — it goes against everything you’ve learned about steaks if you’ve grown up cooking them in the south. First, let’s lay some groundwork. We’re cooking this steak medium-rare, because to do anything else would be an insult to the bovine who gave his or...

Arkansas pays its debtsLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas and America are still feeling the after effects of the Great Recession. Since the global economic collapse of 2008, our state has worked tirelessly to replace lost jobs and restore economic growth. While there are many national factors that influence the speed and scope of any recovery effort, there is a benchmark we are about to reach in Arkansas. Again, we show our capacity to work together and meet challenges. Arkansa...

Researching crematoriumsI commend Scott Steuber on his research on crematoriums and am appalled that 21 have been constructed in this state without a public hearing. I also have a question to pose: Who takes possession of the dental scrap from the deceased — the family or the funeral home? I have discovered that dental scrap is comprised of much more than just fillings. The selling of dental scrap for cash is big business; a Google search netted me 498,000 hits. I be...

How did we get here?The humor writer and lecturer Josh Billings (1818-85) once said of debt, “Like any other trap, easy enough to get into, but hard enough to get out of.” While not a pleasant topic to discuss over dinner, when it comes to our national debt (now more than $17 trillion), have you ever asked yourself this question, “How did we get here?” The simple answer is like the frog someone placed in warm water and slowly turned up the heat until he literally...

ISIS a national security threatBELFAST, Northern Ireland — U.S. airstrikes that have helped Iraqi and Kurdish forces recapture a strategic dam and halt, at least temporarily, the advance of ISIS terrorists on the Kurdish capital of Erbil are a welcome pushback against a relentless enemy that for a time seemed invincible. But it may be of no more strategic significance than Jimmy Doolittle’s bombing run against Japan in World War II. Doolittle’s raid gave a psychological boo...

"Left" and "Right:" A little Bible studyRan across an interesting comparison between the right and the left from a biblical perspective. Maybe this is why the left wants to keep the bible and Jesus out of everything. Jesus said: "Goats on the left, sheep on the right," (Matthew 25:33). Jesus told Peter that if he wanted to catch fish do it from the right side of the boat. They did and filled the boat with fish. John 21:6 (NIV) "Jesus said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the bo...

The media and the mobThose of us who admit that we were not there, and do not know what happened when Michael Brown was shot by a policeman in Ferguson, Mo., seem to be in the minority. We all know what has happened since then — and it has been a complete disgrace by politicians, the media and mobs of rioters and looters. Despite all the people who act as if they know exactly what happened, nevertheless when the full facts come out, that can change everything. Thi...

Political stereotypingWhile we might like to think that voters research the issues, review the candidates, and then vote for the candidate that best reflects their views; the reality, based on political science research, is much different. According to George Washington University Professor Danny Hayes’ research paper “When Gender and Party Collide: Stereotyping in Candidate Trait Attribution,” “Stereotypes are relevant in politics because citizens are willing to d...

Arkansas’ other health care reformLet’s play a word association game. I write “health care reform.” What comes to mind? Probably “Obamacare,” and probably, if you live in Arkansas, not in a positive light. You might next think, “private option,” the state program that uses federal dollars under Obamacare to buy private insurance for lower-income Arkansans. Meanwhile, there’s another important health care reform effort underway. While Obamacare and the private option are mostly...

Random thoughtsRandom thoughts on the passing scene: I don’t know why we are spending our hard-earned money paying taxes to support a criminal justice system, when issues of guilt and innocence are being determined on television — and even punishment is being meted out by CNN’s showing the home and address of the policeman accused in the Ferguson, Missouri shooting. One of the big differences between Democrats and Republicans is that we at least know what th...

Proposal to abolish state office doesn’t go far enoughTwo state senators want to lead an effort to abolish the lieutenant governor’s office, and they make a good point. But they’re not thinking big enough. Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis, and Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, said last week that they will push a bipartisan proposal to get a constitutional amendment on the 2016 ballot that would eliminate what should be the second most important of Arkansas’ seven constitutional offices. It could be one of ...

Next governor gets Delta woesPINE BLUFF — The head of the Delta Regional Authority said a mouthful when he told a jobs conference last week that Arkansas’ next governor would face a unique set of challenges after taking office in 2015. Unique? Yes. New? No. Several generations removed from a Depression- and flood-fueled exodus, eastern Arkansas is still trying to regain an economic toehold. Governors and governments haven’t solved the problems in the Delta, but gubernator...

Teen lives undetected at Wal-Mart for 2 daysA teenager lived undetected for two days at a 24-hour Wal-Mart in Texas after running away from his aunt’s home, police said Wednesday. A store employee in Corsicana, about 50 miles south of Dallas, eventually discovered the 14-year-old boy when he was spotted stepping out from behind some boxes in the baby apparel aisle. When the Supercenter employee pushed aside the boxes, a number of items were found indicating the teen had been staying awh...